My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #1-6

As I looked over my list of Christmas songs from last year, I realized that I left out quite a few good ones in my effort to highlight songs and covers that folks may not have heard of. Thus, I’ll start out this year playing catch up with some standards:

#1 – “The Christmas Song,” Nat King Cole, 1946

How else could I start?

#2 – “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” Burl Ives, 1964

Counting “There’s Always Tomorrow” from last year, this makes the second song on my list from the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” holiday special. The song was originally to be sung by the character of Yukon Cornelius. Yeah, I can’t see it, either.

#3 – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Gene Autry, 1949

The original version of the story of “Santa’s 9th Reindeer.” I remember singing it in Cub Scouts and the troop all goofing with it; repeating the ‘reindeer’ in the chorus and adding words to the lyrics.

#4 – “Happy Holidays/Holiday Season,” Andy Williams, 1963

“Happy Holiday” was originally sung by Bing Crosby in the 1942 film “Holiday Inn” A medley, “The Holiday Season” was added later to make this classic.

#5 – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams, 1963

Another wonderful standard from Andy Williams. I’ve always wondered: Was telling ghost stories at Christmas time really a thing way back when?

#6 – “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda Lee

To my ears, Brenda Lee sounds as if she’s singing about ‘punkin’ pie’ but that only adds to the song’s charm.